Hi All, My name is Mark and I'm a new member. I joined because I'm interested in possibly buying a 1971 Skylark convertible and wanted to know if there were any quirks or odd things I should look for in this car. This would be my first time buying one and I don't know a lot about them. The car is mostly stock with a carb/intake swap and I think that's it. Top and glass is good, interior needs some help and the seller says it has some bondo/rust in the typical places. Needs paint too. 350/350 with power top, PS, PB and AC. He's asking $4k and I'm in the NE, so I'm not sure if that's a good price. I've only seen pics and it looks very solid. Thoughts? Thanks, Mark
Get it up on a lift and carefully look at all the body mounts, front torque boxes and floors. There might? be a lot of hidden problems. And there might not be.
If its been a New England / North East car its whole life, then you're gonna need "Help from Above" .. welcome to V8Buick
As stated, get the car up on a lift. Check the frame, floors, suspension, etc. You already mentioned it needs interior and body. That makes it what I refer to a a "two striker", meaning it has serious needs in two major areas. Now, if the engine/trans/differential are original, it could become a three striker. At $4,000, it is cheap, but if you wind up with more in it than you could have purchased a real nice one for, you lose. A lot depends on your capabilities. How much can you realistically do yourself? That will make a huge difference on how deep you wind up in it financially. Always buy the best car you can afford. And ALWAYS take someone with you who knows their way around a vehicle. Good luck.
Jerry, It's not always about the money. Sometimes it's about getting into your car and getting to know it (inside and out) and taking some pride in saying "I did that". I've been upside down in most of my projects, they were never intended to make money, they were just to have fun.
There are some convertible parts that are near impossible to get. So make sure the tops of the rear quarter panels are in good shape and the wheel houses aren't destroyed. Also you want a good frame, so look for rot behind the left and right side just behind the front wheels on the frame. Those are the main spots I can think of to watch for. I bought the same car 2 years ago with rotted floors and quarter panels but otherwise decent, with a 455 swap and front discs, and good interior for $2500 to help you gauge the price...and I think mine was about a slightly above average deal. Lots of work though!
/\/\ That I know. But, if his skills tools, place to work, etc. are limited, he would be better off with a car with fewer issues for a first restoration. Too many guys (gals) bite off more than they can handle. Having to farm too much out is expensive. the more you are capable of tackling yourself, the better. BTW, With the exception of the race cars, I try to keep every vehicle, love them or not, so I am not upside down in them. Not always successful, just my preference.
